STRUCTURE, MAGNETIZATION, AND THERMAL-STABILITY OF (100) FECU FILMS DEPOSITED ON PD/CU/SI(100)

(100)-oriented FeCu films, containing 80 and 50 at. % Fe, have been deposited on (100) Si using (100) Pd/Cu seed layers. Heating of the samples helps identify the structures of the FeCu films, especially the one with 50 at. % Fe. The FeCu (50/50) film shows a structure with possibly two phases: one with a lattice spacing close to that of (100) Fe, and one to that of (100) Cu, henceforth assigned to the Fe- and Cu-stabilized FeCu phases, respectively. The FeCu (80/20) film shows only one phase, with a lattice spacing close to that of (100) Fe. Ferromagnetic characteristics are detected up to an anneal of 30 min at 600-degrees-C for the FeCu (80/20) films, with a reduced saturation magnetization above 400-degrees-C. For the FeCu (50/50) films, their ferromagnetic characteristics remain little changed up to 300-degrees-C, with reduced saturation magnetization at 400-degrees-C, and disappear completely after an anneal at 500-degrees-C. The results are compared with those containing elemental Fe layers deposited on different metal seeds, and the reaction mechanisms of the present structures are discussed.